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12 reviews for Athlete Fuel

Rated 1 out of 5

Nathan(verified owner)–August 22, 2017

This stuff smells PUTRID! And it will make you stink. If you like being within 10 feet of girls indoors, I wouldn’t buy this mix.

Try this: order a sample, mix with milk or water, and smell it. For me, it smelled absolutely nasty — like a dead animal or sewage. The weird thing is I didn’t notice it when drinking it — it tasted fine.

Then I started noticing my farts were the worst smelling I’ve had in my life after drinking this stuff for a few days. Then the next day, people started moving away from me in the coffee shop (2 girls out of 2 girls and 1 guy that came and sat next to me moved), and I could tell I stank.

Being a chemical engineer, and having worked in the thin-film solar cell industry, I know a thing or two about stinky chemicals: in particular, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium (they form a column of stinkiness in the periodic table). Tellurium smells absolutely horrid even in minuscule amounts — and so does selenium. And the hydrogenated versions of these chemical are 10x as bad. Chemists were famously ostracized after they worked with tellurium in the past, because they smelled so bad. One hypothesis I have is that some of these industrially-produced nutrient powders in the mixes may have a small amount of Se or Te — it wouldn’t take much to make it super stinky (especially for something like hydrogen telluride), and it may be below the impurity detection limits. Google ‘tellurium breath’ to learn more.

I’m not really sure or convinced it’s my body processing some ingredient that didn’t smell bad before into something that does smell bad, because the mix already smells bad when mixed with water. Maybe this was a fluke mix. Maybe it’s just me. But I feel a responsibility to keep the world from getting too stinky.

Another problem is that it was messing up my digestive system. My stomach was making weird rumblings it normally doesn’t.

My personal thoughts are that these reviews are an echo chamber — a collection of like-minded guys (not girls — they care much more about appearance, texture, and smells of their food). I’d guess these guys don’t really care how they smell around others, most are in the tech scene, and most are single. If you haven’t read the story about a guy having his girlfriend give him the ultimatum of quitting soylent (because he smelled so bad) or her leaving him, it’s pretty entertaining. I remember axcho posting about getting rid of the ‘soylent farts’ in one of his mixes, maybe this is true. But it certainly is not true for the athlete mix.

PS: My order number was 79871 but it’s not listed on my account.

axcho–August 22, 2017

Hi Nathan, I’m sorry to hear about the smell! This is actually the first time I’ve heard about any bad smells coming from Athlete Fuel. Almost a year ago, we had a vitamin mix that included L-Selenomethionine, which definitely smelled like sulfur (it is the compound that gives onions and garlic their distinctive smell), but we switched to an odorless Selenium Glycinate as our selenium source as soon as we found out.

As far as the farts, we’ve made changes to the fiber sources to reduce the likelihood of people’s gut flora reacting violently to the mix, but some people do still experience issues with it sometimes. I’m sorry about that. As far as the smell, dairy and rice protein tend to be relatively high in the sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine and methionine) and depending on the person (or gut bacteria) that can make any farts that result extremely potent, especially if the protein goes partially undigested. Most people do not need the extra protein that Athlete Fuel provides, and this can make for extra smelly farts (just like overdosing on any protein powder).

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s actually not quite the echo chamber you might expect. We have also been soliciting anonymous feedback from everyone over the past couple months, good and bad (mostly good, which is reassuring, but not so much that it seems unrealistic) and people definitely report issues about taste, smell and gas when they arise, but I’ve actually never heard this complaint with Athlete Fuel. I wonder if it’s just a bad batch? If you’d like we could email the other customers who got the same one to see if anyone else has noticed a bad smell. Let me know! :)

Rated 5 out of 5

William(verified owner)–August 7, 2017

This product is great. I spend about 16 hours a week training strength, endurance, and for my sport. As a person with a highly analytical mind, eating with precision has always been difficult for me. This changes everything. Tastes great, energy levels are up, fat is falling off. I’ve tried it with 1%, 2%, and whole milk, but my favorite so far has been chocolate athlete fuel with chocolate soymilk. Also kept me feeling fuller longer, possibly from the extra fiber and carbs in soy milk.

Rated 5 out of 5

Michael(verified owner)–March 28, 2017

I love this stuff! I’ve been eating the chocolate version for ~ 2 meals / day for the past couple weeks and it checks every box for me: crazy convenient, tastes delicious, no energy ups and downs, no bloating… plus, Axcho and the guys at SBF have been all around great, responding to emails quickly and even giving me a tour of the facility. I’ve been mixing it with coconut oil to get some extra calories (trying to maintain weight) and almond milk and throwing it in the blender. Interestingly, the brand of almond milk has a large impact on the consistency. Keep it up guys!

Rated 5 out of 5

Men Cheol(verified owner)–March 22, 2017

I use Super Body Fuel as my go-to meal. I can take it on-the-go and can make it in 2-3 day batches. I love the choice they made with protein source (sprouted brown rice protein), I don’t have to worry about missing essential amino acids. It doesn’t disturb my digestive system as I can switch from liquid and solid food without a problem.

I like the chocolate variety. Great flavor and consistency, even without a blender. The creamier texture from leaving it in the fridge for a few hours is also a plus..

Rated 5 out of 5

Ian(verified owner)–December 13, 2016

TL;DR This shit is the solution to the chore that is fueling your permanently decaying hamburger prison. I go bouldering at a gym 3-4x a week for 1.5-2 hours a session and I feel completely fulfilled nutritionally.

I’m just a normal guy like everybody who stumbled onto this website. I found r/diysoylent and eventually tracked this place down because all the recipes call to be mixed with milk.

I fucking love milk! Shit yeah I was doing that for a while anyway out of straight lethargy.

So I ordered a month’s worth of “food”. Decided I didn’t need 2500 calories every single day so I only needed 5 bags through a very crude series of back of the envelope calculations I probably made up on the spot.

Shit gets here in boxes perfectly shaped to accommodate the bags they house. +1 for efficiency. if I’m in this for my anarcho-strophic tendencies I’m glad the company I’m buying this shit from had the wherewithal to not generate more waste than needed.

Immediately go for a taste test. Still trying to figure out how I want to portion it correctly. Mixed it too thick, chalky. But good! I ordered Chocolate but it tasted like peanut butter which I have no problem with whatsoever. Eventually figured out that 1.5 scoops and 1.5 cups of milk is (all that fits in my single serving blender cup) my preferred consistency. Tastes like Ovaltine!

I only have two suggestions for changes to the formula.

Primus: If you could figure out a way to mix the macro ratios in such a way that 2 cups of milk could give you 2000 calories and full nutrition for the day, that would be amazing! I’m not too big a fan of non-dairy milk and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Maybe I try skim?

Secondus: Perhaps consider curtailing the recipe to a specific brand of milk? Hear me out: Fairlife is my favorite milk. It is literally more nutritionally potent than both Horizon and Paradise Farms with 13g of protein a serving compared to their 8g and a smattering of B vitamins and etc. I personally prefer the taste, I find it creamier.

But using it with your stuff throws the ratios all out of whack. Too much protein, not necessarily enough other things, and they oddly sell it in 52oz bottles? (at a cheaper per serving price than Horizon and Paradise Farms)

Surmounting all of those problems, it’s sold at every Walmart in the country in great abundance, and is a cheaper source of protein than other milks. Cheaper. Protein. That means you don’t have to mix as much in your recipe, bringing down the total cost of both producer and consumer.

Please at least consider the idea, and thank you very much for a wonderful product.

I’m not endorsed by Fairlife in any way. They just have 13g of protein a serving.

Rated 5 out of 5

Adam(verified owner)–August 10, 2016

I stumbled across the soylent subreddit about a month ago, and was instantly fascinated with the concept of powdered food and how easy and cheap it made getting perfect nutrition. My previous typical lunch consisted of picking the next place in line to eat out at and spend sometimes more than $10 for questionable nutritional value. When I made or bought my lunches at the grocery store, I was only getting 30-40g protein, maybe 500 calories, and it was usually $8-9 anyway. Either way there was some much-needed room for improvement.

The Soylent brand doesn’t impress me much, with only 100g (soy, ugh, I’m trying to get rid of man-boobs not grow them) protein in it and weird sugar subs, so I went ahead and looked for other, preferably inexpensive brands with better nutrition for a large muscle-building testosterone-producing male body (that shipped to the US as well, lol).

Super Body Fuel products kept popping up as a US brand with a good variety of products, using rice and MILK PROTEINS!! as a source of aminos. Seeing as I drink milk all the time with everything (I swear half of my body is made of milk at this point) and wanted cheaper-but-still-protein-filled lunches, the decision to get Athlete Fuel was a no-brainer.

The package with my first bag arrived a few days later, and I’ve been eating it exclusively for lunch at work since, saving tons of money and time in the process. My lifting progress is continuing nicely, owed in no small part to having greater control over achieving my daily protein needs (lunch now has a guaranteed 70g based on my mixing method).

I still eat “muggle food” for 60-70% of my daily calories, mostly due to social restrictions, but I was able to go a few days one weekend on 100% Athlete Fuel when the wife was out of town and I was feeling ultra-lazy, and felt full and satisfied the whole day.

My only caution is this: if you have a spouse or significant other, they may be jealous that you have a better option for food that doesn’t involve getting food with them (or that you are no longer dependent on them for it!!) and may get emotional. My spouse in particular is very attached to our meals together but is also paranoid about anorexia and eating disorders. After explaining to her that this is fundamentally different from typical shake diets as it provides complete nutrition (not just a supplement), and after proving that the food works well for me, everything seems to be moving along fine.

Thank you to axcho and Richard for your guys’ hard work getting these formulations made and available to the public, I hope you keep up with and continue to innovate inside the industry as the market continues to grow and diversify.

Rated 5 out of 5

Justin(verified owner)–August 9, 2016

I switched over to Athlete Fuel about a month ago after Soylent decided to switch over to a soy protein source.

I’m extremely glad for making the switch as SBF (provided you have mixed it well) has a much better texture, taste, and at least for me nutritional results. Prior to this, I had been mixing Soylent with Whey Protein powder as I was trying to gain weight, but the mixture was constantly making me feel sick/gassy and just overall, was not a great time. I have not had any issues with SBF, and would definitely recommend this to any athlete looking to bulk up provided you’re okay with the amount of dairy required.

One last note, I saw some people below having issues with mixing – I’ve had the easiest time just throwing one cup of milk, then two scoops of SBF, then the second cup of milk in a blender bottle (in that order). Shake it vigorously and throw it in the fridge for 2+ hours and you’ll be good to go for a meal. If you don’t mind the chunkiness, you can eat it in less time I suppose.

Rated 5 out of 5

Corey(verified owner)–July 1, 2016

Switching over to this from my Soylent subscription since they’ve upgraded to 1.6 and changed the protein to soy. I DO NOT want that as my main source of sustenance. Ordered this 2 days ago, arrived quickly, and I am very pleased. Tastes better than Soylent, has way more protein, and higher fiber. Also like that it uses organic ingredients. I like this athlete mix since I do have a physically demanding job and also lift weights, and Soylent was always somewhat lacking in the protein department.

Only caveat is that you have to add milk to make this a full meal, but it is a small caveat. Just adds a dollar or two a day price wise, and it’s still better to me than drinking soy protein.

I feel more full after one glass of this than I did on Soylent. In a couple weeks when my current supply of 1.5 Soylent runs out I am signing up for a subscription for 6 bags a month of this stuff. I’m sold!

Rated 5 out of 5

Tyler(verified owner)–April 28, 2016

I’ve been drinking Athlete Fuel for over four months. The flavor is great, and the convenience and protein are helping me gain weight.

Blend it!

The first time I tried it, I put milk and powder into an old Soylent pitcher and shook it up. There were a lot of lumps despite my best efforts, and combined with the unfamiliar flavor it was not a great first impression. Next time, I used an immersion blender and was much happier. After a few days I loved the flavor and I haven’t looked back.

In terms of athletic performance, the biggest test I’ve given Athlete Fuel was running a 10K after drinking it for breakfast. I don’t have hard comparative numbers, but I felt very good.

Digestively speaking, I think the experience is about par for the course for protein rich diets.

When Athlete Fuel dries out, it hardens pretty quickly. My dishwasher has no trouble with it, but if you’re using a multi-serving pitcher over the course of a few days, you’ll probably get in the habit of clearing some flakes off the spout.

Those are small details, my main experience is that I’m getting excellent nutrition without having to think about it, without having to go to the grocery store, and without having to wash pots and pans. It tastes great and I feel rewarded for making it part of my lifestyle.

Rated 5 out of 5

Benjamin(verified owner)–January 9, 2016

I really enjoy the taste. I make it in the morning, leave it in the fridge, and drink it as my meal at night.

Rated 5 out of 5

Daniel(verified owner)–January 3, 2016

I have tried several different soylent mixes, and they had their ups and downs in terms of consistency, flavour, or balance of nutrients, but once I tried Axcho’s I knew it was the best one and have been ordering ever since.

Great smooth texture and sweet, creamy taste (and having all that milk with it doesn’t hurt of course). Sometimes almost like tasting a nice cookie, cake, or pancake batter, rather than the cardboard-like or gritty experience one gets from the other mixes. I’m less enthusiastic about the cinnamon flavour than the others, but I’d still take that any day over the other brands.

The cocoa and stevia are great, and there’s no maltodextrin or sugar here, which is a plus. I also like how organic and gluten-free ingredients are utilized and the fact that sprouted brown rice protein is used. I often add things like banana, yogurt, or frozen berries to my mixes and that works well with this also.

This is also a good way to get your protein. As someone trying to bulk up, I’ve looked into a few different options for getting all my calories and protein, and this mix ranks very well in terms of cost, convenience, and flavour. No more worrying about protein supplementation – you don’t need to add anything other than the milk you mix with it. Sometimes for a boost I’ll use more milk in the mix (as the nutrition label suggests), or I’ll use Fairlife milk since it has more protein and less sugar. That’s one thing I like about powdered foods – the experimentation and exact measurements that are possible.

Rated 5 out of 5

Jason(verified owner)–December 1, 2015

After having searched and sampled several “athlete” mixes I have found a winner with Athlete Fuel.

Taste:
Very much chocolatey and mixes well with flavor such as peppermint. Athlete Fuel is easily the best tasting mix I’ve had.

Texture:
Overall smooth, but I blend since I mix a 2500 calorie batch at a time. I also let it sit overnight as I find that helps with both the taste and texture. Mixing with whole milk and blending leaves an almost milkshake consistency. I use 64oz of whole milk, and after adding the powder it yields about 80oz.

Fridge Life:
It easily holds for 3 days with no degradation in taste or texture.

Energy:
I don’t notice any drops after consumption or mid day or late morning crashes. Overall makes me feel more even.

Competition:
I tried two other companies’ 40/30/30 carb/protein/fat ratio products. Super Body Fuel easily trumps them in terms of all of the above. I have found the competition to either be way too thick and require mixing prior to consumption, way too thin, or a much weaker chocolate taste offset with cinnamon.

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